(Yicai Global) March. 4 -- China aims to  launch its third generation of magnetic levitation trains next year,  according to the chairman of the company responsible for the super-fast  locomotives.

The unmanned trains will boast a top speed  of 200 kilometers per hour, China Railway Zhuzhou Chairman Zhou Qinghe  revealed at the annual meetings of the National People's Congress and  the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's  top political advisory body.

Compared with the first generation, this  version of the train features 40 percent higher hill-climbing capacity,  Zhou told state-backed Xinhua News Agency. The train's speed around  curves is over 15 percent faster and its average acceleration has been  approved by half. The maglev's carriages also hold more passengers and are suitable for inter-city or urban transit between 50 and 200km.

The latest maglev trains are also equipped  with powerful controls to realize autonomous driving controlled by  ground operation system, Zhou added.

CRRC Zhuzhou spearheaded the project for  the new trains in conjunction with over 20 scientific research  institutions and firms in the country. Once they enter operation, they  will be China's fastest self-developed maglev trains in commercial use,  he added. 

Editor: William Clegg